So after a lot of thinking and some researching, I came to the conclusion that the cookie which would be the best symbol of peace, friendship, respect and tolerance is the Middle Eastern shortbread pastry known under the name of "Ma'amoul" (meaning "filled cookie" in Arabic).

Not only is it adored in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and other Levantine countries, but it also very popular amid Arab Christians as well as amid the Lebanese and Egyptian (Sepharadic) Jewish communities.

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I am organizing an event called "Pastries For Peace" (thanks Kiriel for the idea). Anybody can participate. The roundup will take place on the 7th of December 2009 and the deadline is the 1st of December 2009. Just send your links to grandchampatgmxdotch.

Choosing this recipe also meant that the baker I am was going to get challenged as I had never made "Ma'amouls" before and had always been intimidated by Middle Eastern pastries, although I had been dying to experiment with those delicacies since a very long time. I always chickened out because they seemed so complicated to produce. I know, stupid me, as usual...

Anyway, with my pristine tabi (wooden mould) desperately waiting to get used, I could not skip the opportunity to finally jump in the cold water and test my baking skills on a sweet treat which is so different from what we know in the Western world!

Fortunately for me, this incursion into the art of making pastries the Arabic way turned out extremely well. My creations looked not too bad and were mouthwateringly good!

Those "Ma'amouls" are very unusual, refined and unique in aesthetics, flavor and composition. Not only are they very pretty, but they also taste like heaven. With their crisp flaky pastry and soft filling, those nutty, notoverly sweet and delightfully fragrant cookies will conquer you instantly.

Eid Moubarak!&Shana Tova!

~ Walnut Ma'amoul ~Recipe by Camille at "Cakes In The City" (France) and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Method for the "Pastry":1. In a big bowl, mix together the semolina (and flour if you use any), sugar, salt and baking powder.2. Add the butter and rub between the fingers until the mixture is flaky.3. Add the milk and orange blossom water and lightly knead the dough for 1 minute.4. Shape the pastry into a ball, wrap in plastic foil and put in the fridge for about 1 hour.Method for the "Filling":5. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: put all the ingredients in a mixer and blend until it ressembles a paste.6. Preheat the oven to 160°C (° F).7. Take a small portion of dough and shape it into a ball. Make a hole with your thumb.8. Fill the hole with the walnut paste and close the ball. Process in the same way with the remaining pastry and filling.9. With the help of a floured tabi (decorative mould) shape the balls into ma'amoul cookies by packing each ball into the mould and then tapping the cookies out onto the work area with a sharp firm hit to the top of the mold.10. Transfer cookies to baking sheet with a spatula and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes (stop baking as soon as the sides are starting to get golden brown).11. Let cool on a rack.12. Cover the cookies with powdered sugar.

Remarks:I found two videos for you (video 1 & video 2) that might help you. Check them out if in doubt when it comes to shaping those ma'amoul!Maamoul are very delicate cookies which you have to manipulate wih care. Let them cool completely before manipulating them.If you don't have a tabi, then just shape the balls as indicated, put them on the baking sheet and flatten them slightly and decorate the cookies with tweezers.

What a beautiful thought behind these delicate cookies Rosa. I do really wish we could buy peace in this world with cookies as gorgeous as these,and hope the dream comes true one day! I love the filling & your wooden mould...Awesome!

I thought that it'd be a good idea if I offered a recipe that brings us back to the time when both Muslim and Jewish people cohabited in harmony and were close... - more world leaders should read food blogs! Excellent post Rosa!

What a nice person you are! It is very thoughtful of you...Believe it or not this walnut cookies ( we call it "gerebich" ) are one of my hometown's specialties. At the end of Ramadan, all the ladies come together and make this cookies in large quantities. Then, we serve them all of our guests during Ramadan Festival.I hope one day we all live in peace.Thank you.Iffet

I'd definitely like to participate in your event and will start thinking about what to make. I love these - they look so beautiful and it'd be great to have them with mint tea in the afternoon as you suggested. Fantastic that you feel brave enough to try new things but then you are a daring baker!

Ooooh Rosa, I have bookmarked Ma'amouls ages ago but never made them I have stopped using butter. Maybe I'll make an exception during Christmas. Great idea for the event. Is it for any kind of pastries?

Love your thought behind making these cookies at this time ... thank you for expressing yourself so beautifully .. a very happy Rosh Hashanah to you, if you celebrate it! Food really does transcend all boundaries, doesn't it?? Gorgeous cookies ... I love mamouls .. have some store-bought date-filled ones on me right now. Your mamoul mould is SO cute - where did u get it??

Btw have you heard about the 2nd Annual O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Contest at my blog and at Ms Adventures in Italy? You have until Sept 28th to come up with a fab O recipe...and there are prizes including signed copies of Gina DePalma's Dolce Italiano and Mario Batali's Molto Italiano :D

If you can't participate, feel free to spread the word--there are prizes for that too!

Hi rosa!I was happy to find out this recipe at your blog-Ma'amoul is a well known cookie at my country and I make it a lot.Besides the wooden moulds, there's another traditional way of shaping the cookies that I usually use, and that's using a traditional tiny metal clip that pinches the dough from the outside , you can see it over here: http://forumsgallery.tapuz.co.il/ForumsGallery/galleryimages/21077189.jpgThe most popular filling at our country is flavored dates paste.Your cookies look just great! Bravo for performing this challenge.

It's funny because although I celebrate rosh hashana, I didn't know the eid ul fitr it been celebrating at the same day this yearIt's funny to find it out from a person out of my country…

Anyway as a presenter of Israel, a country that desire for peace for so many years, I have to think of something for your "pastries for peace" project, it's a great idea!

Take care,Inbal

P.S.I also have these gorgeous napkins – isn't it from ikea?I guess there's something uniting us all anyway, hehe

I think I misunderstood the event. Perhaps it needed a bit more explanation. Wasn't it supposed to contribute the idea of peace? Shared recipes by ethnic groups in conflict? A Greco-Turkish recipe would be a hit for example. Nevertheless, it was a great idea.